ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: scale · stem · jam · plane · pitcher · game · degree · hand

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. scale — size or range
  5. plane — a tool
  6. game — a match
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. degree — temperature
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. hand — help
  13. game — wild animals
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — an amount
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. scale — in music
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com